Degree(s): BJ ’18 MPA ’21

Whereabouts: United States, Columbia, Missouri

What do you do?

I am the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for the Mizzou Alumni Association.

How did you get your job?

I was a journalism ambassador during undergrad, and it sparked my passion for being a representative for Mizzou. When looking for jobs my senior year, I often checked the postings for jobs within Mizzou. I saw the listing for a coordinator position with the Mizzou Alumni Association, and it seemed like a great fit with my public relations and event planning background I had worked on within my Strategic Communication degree.

What is the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School?

I learned the impact and power of being able to think critically and assess information that is given to you rather than to just accept it. My ability to navigate through facts and figures and evaluate them for legitimacy and then distill them to an audience has been helpful professionally and personally.

What advice do you have for current students?

Try everything! I came to the J-School to do Broadcast Sports Journalism. It took 3 episodes of Friday Night Fever over at KOMU to realize that wasn’t for me, but I was able to learn that about myself before I had even gotten half way through my first semester. There is a reason we are known for hands on learning, so use it to your disposal to find out what you love and what you don’t.

What is your favorite J-School memory?

Being a journalism ambassador and giving talks and tours to hundreds of prospective students. It was even cooler when they’d email me to let me know that they decided to attend Mizzou. And now, 5 years out, I am seeing some students I gave tours to get their first jobs in journalism, and it is incredible to see.